All the horsepower in the world won't help your car go fast unless it can be efficiently transmitted to the ground. With the rapid advancement in today's tire technology, it's no wonder that more needs to be done to keep the tires from spinning on their rims.
Screws have been used effectively to help prevent tires from rotating on the rim for years. Installing rim screws only takes a few minutes, but must be done properly to avoid potential disaster and ruining a perfectly good set of wheels. But don't run down to the corner hardware store and pick up a handful of sheet metal screws just yet. The first step to properly installing rim screws is getting the right screw for the job.
Wrap masking tape around the...
Wrap masking tape around the perimeter of the wheel overlapping both ends. Draw a line where the tape intersects on both ends as shown.
We like to use rim screws from Moroso because they come plated to resist corrosion and are stronger than an ordinary hardware store screw of the same size. Moroso's rim screw kit comes with 32 screws and installation instructions. What the instructions don't tell you is how to evenly space the screws around the wheels, but we've figured out a slick method to ensure good looks and positively secured tires. Our method does not involve complicated math equations and can be done with only a tape measure, masking tape (2-inch wide is best), a marking pen, a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket, a file, and a drill with a 13/64th bit.
After you're done drilling for rim screws, take your wheels, tires, and rim screws down to a tire shop and have them professionally mounted. Install the screws after the tire beads have been seated using no more than 40-psi air and then balance the tires. The screws will naturally hold themselves in place, but it's a good idea to periodically check them to be sure that they're tight. If one falls out, replace it as soon as possible, otherwise it'll mess up your wheel/tire balance. Rim screws are a reusable, maintenance-free traction adder that will help you hook off the line and get down the 1/4-mile safely. We installed a set of screws into a pair of 15x10 Center Line "Warrior" wheels which will see abuse hooking up a super-heavy 9-second Chevelle.
Carefully remove the masking tape and stick it down either on the ground or on a big workbench. Measure the distance between both marks (if it's a 15-inch wheel, it should measure around 51 1/4-inches as shown). Divide your measurement by eight, which is the number of screws you'll be installing per side. This worked out to 6.40625 (6 13/32) in our case, which we rounded down to 6 3/8-inches.
 Make an indicating mark on...  Make an indicating mark on your tape measure at the number you just arrived at, we put a dot at 6 3/8-inch on our tape. Now, start at either end of the masking tape and mark off eight evenly spaced lines as shown. You'll actually only be marking six additional lines because you already have two on the tape. You should end up within about 1/4-inch of the last line if you do this part correctly. |  Stand the wheel up at one...  Stand the wheel up at one end of the tape and mark your wheel where it intersects the first line on the tape. Now roll the wheel down the tape to see if it tracks straight. You may have to adjust its position several times to get it to follow the whole length of the tape. This is actually the most difficult part of the whole job! |  Starting with the mark you...  Starting with the mark you just made on the wheel lined up with the first mark on the tape, roll the wheel along the tape marking it at each intersecting line. This will give you eight equally-spaced marks around its circumference. At the end, the first mark you made on the wheel should hit the last mark on the tape, or be very close to it, if you did this part right. Repeat this for the other side of the wheel. |
 Using a powerful drill capable...  Using a powerful drill capable of at least 2,000 rpm will make this part go a whole lot faster. Drill eight 13/64-inch holes at the marks you just made. Hold the drill at about a 30-degree angle, so the screws will be sure to grab the most rubber in the tire's bead. |  Use a ratchet to thread each...  Use a ratchet to thread each rim screw into its respective hole. The screws are self-tapping, and this step makes sure they start at the proper angle. Refer to the lead photo to get an idea of the angle you should try to maintain. |  Remove the screws and debur...  Remove the screws and debur each hole using a flat file. A sharp drill bit turning at high speed will limit the amount of deburring and clean up needed at this point. |